Staging stigma : a critical examination of the American freak show / Michael M. Chemers ; foreword by Jim Ferris.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chemers, Michael M.

Series:

Palgrave studies in theatre and performance history

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Freak shows--United States--History.

Freak shows.

Carnivals--United States--History.

Carnivals.

Abnormalities, Human--United States.

Abnormalities, Human.

History.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiv, 168 pages, 10 pages of plates : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

Summary:

Staging Stigma is a captivating excursion into the bizarre world of the American freak show. Chemers critically examines several key moments of a performance tradition in which the truth is often stranger than fiction. Grounded in meticulous historical research and cultural criticism, Chemers' analysis reveals untold stories of freaks that will change the way we understand both performance and disability in America. This book is a must-have for serious students of freakery or anyone who is curious about the hidden side of American theatrical history.

Contents:

Introduction: The Ugly Word 1

1 Staging Stigma 11

2 Prurience and Propriety 27

3 Enlightenment and Wonder 57

4 Pathology and Prodigy 85

5 Exploitation and Transgression 103

Conclusion: God's Own Artwork 131.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [141]-157) and index.

ISBN:

0230610668

9780230610668

OCLC:

226213020